Treating hazardous materials

Abstract

Methods of treating hazardous materials, such as, for example, contaminated soils, are disclosed. In one aspect, a method may include treating a contaminated soil with a hazardous material treatment composition to form a resulting material. In one aspect, the hazardous material treatment composition may include mostly salt, and from 0.5 to 15 wt % sorbent. The method may further include treating the resulting material with one or more inorganic binding agents. Other methods of treating hazardous materials are also disclosed, as well as compositions for treating hazardous materials.

1. A method comprising:
 determining a type of sorbent to be used to treat a contaminated soil based on a type of contaminant in the contaminated soil; 
 combining the contaminated soil having the contaminant with the determined type of sorbent and salt, the salt being used in a greater amount than the sorbent; 
 mixing the contaminated soil, the sorbent, the salt, and water to form a resulting mixture; 
 during said mixing, sorbing the contaminant with the sorbent; 
 during said mixing, crystallizing the salt around the sorbent; 
 mixing an inorganic, binding agent with the resulting mixture; and 
 hardening the inorganic binding agent around the crystallized salt and around the sorbent. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said mixing the contaminated soil, the sorbent, the salt, and the water comprises mixing for less than 10 minutes using a plough mixer operating at a Froude number ranging from 6 to 8. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, prior to said hardening the inorganic binding agent, molding the resulting mixture including the inorganic binding agent to form a shaped product. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the inorganic binding agent comprises cement, and wherein said forming the shaped product comprises forming one of a jersey barrier, a sidewalk portion, a brick, and a cement pipe. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining an amount of the inorganic binding agent based, at least in part, on one or more selected from a predetermined compressive strength of soil specified by a building code and a compressive strength of the contaminated soil. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the salt comprises halide salt and sulfate salt, and wherein said crystallizing the salt comprises forming intergrown and interlocking halide salt crystals and sulfate salt crystals around the sorbent. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the salt comprises monovalent cation halide salt and polyvalent cation halide salt, and wherein said crystallizing the salt comprises forming intergrown and interlocking monovalent cation halide salt crystals and polyvalent cation halide salt crystals around the sorbent. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said determining the type of the sorbent based on the type of the contaminant comprises determining a plurality of different types of sorbents to each sorb a different type of contaminant in the soil. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining an amount of the sorbent based on an amount of the contaminant in the soil. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said determining the type of the sorbent to be used to treat the contaminated soil based on the type of the contaminant in the contaminated soil comprises determining the type of the sorbent to be a non-zeolite material. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the non-zeolite material is at least one of an activated carbon and a chelating agent. 
     
     
       12. The meted of  claim 1 , further comprising pre-treating the sorbent to promote better sorption of the contaminant. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said combining the contaminated soil with the sorbent comprises combining the contaminated soil with at least one of: (1) a zeolite that has cavities that have been pre-treated to have a stationary solvent phase therein to sorb organics; (2) a zeolite that has cavities that have been pre-treated to add a trap therein to trap at least one of a small molecule and an ions; and (3) a zeolite that has been pre-treated to promote binding of the hazardous material. 
     
     
       14. A method comprising:
 treating a contaminated soil with a salt, and sorbent, the salt being used in a greater amount than the sorbent, the sorbent comprising at least one selected from:
 an activated carbon; 
 a chelating agent; 
 a zeolite that has cavities that have been pre-treated to have a stationary solvent phase therein to sorb organics; 
 a zeolite that has cavities that have been pre-treated to add a trap therein to trap at least one of a small molecule and an ion; and 
 
 treating the resulting material with one or more inorganic binding agents. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the contaminated soil is mixed with the salt using a fluidized bed. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the contaminated soil is mixed with the salt using a plough mixer at a Froude number ranging from 6 to 8. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 determining an amount of the one or more inorganic binding agents based, at least in part, on one or more selected from a predetermined compressive strength of soil specified by a building code and a compressive strength of the contaminated soil; and 
 stabilizing soil with the material treated with the one or more inorganic binding agents by returning the material treated with the one or more inorganic binding agents to the soil. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 shaping a material having the one or more inorganic binding agents; and 
 hardening the shaped material to form a shaped product. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the inorganic binding agent comprises cement, and wherein said shaping the material comprises shaping the material in a shape of a jersey barrier, a sidewalk portion, and a cement pipe. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the salt comprises halide salt and sulfide salt, and wherein said treating the contaminated soil comprises sorbing contaminant with the sorbent, and crystallizing the salt around the sorbent including forming intergrown and interlocking halide salt crystals and sulfate salt crystals around the sorbent. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the salt comprises monovalent cation halide salt and polyvalent cation halide salt, and wherein said treating the contaminated soil comprises sorbing contaminant with the sorbent, and crystallizing the salt around the sorbent including forming intergrown and interlocking monovalent cation halide salt crystals and polyvalent cation halide salt crystals around the sorbent. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising determining a type of the sorbent used to treat the contaminated soil based on a type of the contaminant in the contaminated soil. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 22 , wherein said determining the type of the sorbent comprises determining a plurality of different types of sorbents to each be used to treat the contaminated soil and to sorb a different type of contaminant in the soil. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising determining an amount of the sorbent based on an amount of the contaminant in the soil. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 14 , wherein said treating the resulting material with one or more inorganic binding agents comprises treating the resulting material with lime. 
     
     
       26. A method comprising:
 combining a sorbent with a contaminated soil having a contaminant; 
 mixing the sorbent with the contaminated soil; 
 sorbing the contaminant with the sorbent while the sorbent and the contaminated soil are being mixed; 
 mixing a salt with the sorbent and the contaminated soil; 
 after the sorbent has sorbed the contaminant, crystallizing the salt around the sorbent that has sorbed the contaminant while the salt is mixed with the sorbent and the contaminated soil; 
 after said mixing the salt with the contaminated soil, adding an inorganic binding agent to the mixture of the sorbent, the salt, and the contaminated soil; 
 mixing the inorganic binding agent with the mixture of the salt, the sorbent, and the contaminated soil; and 
 hardening the inorganic binding agent around the salt that is crystallized around the sorbent. 
 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 26 , wherein said combining the sorbent with the contaminated soil comprises combining a sorbent having a type that is based on a type of contaminant in the contaminated soil. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 27 , wherein said combining the sorbent with the contaminated soil comprises combining an amount of the sorbent that is based on an amount of the contaminant in the contaminated soil. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 26 , wherein said combining the sorbent with the contaminated soil comprises combining a plurality of different types of sorbents to each sorb a different type of contaminant in the contaminated soil. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 26 , wherein said combining the sorbent with the contaminated soil comprises combining a sorbent selected from an activated carbon, a chelating agent, a zeolite that has cavities that have been pre-treated to have a stationary solvent phase therein to sorb organics, and a zeolite that has cavities that have been pre-treated to add a trap therein to trap at least one of a small molecule and an ions, with the contaminated soil.